Thinking re: trying an African Safari - probably for antelope (Kudu, Oryx, Wildebeest, etc),
but also daydreaming re: cape buffalo. But buff sound very dangerous/expensive I don't own a .375 or .416 either - sounds like a waste to buy a rifle for one animal??

Wondering what country to hone in on - political stability/safety, etc.

Leaning to South Africa - but not too sure about that.

My experience to date is shooting deer on my farm in NY state - with DEC permit,
I used to shoot 15 - 20 deer/year with 30-06, 125 grain bullets, an M1 Carbine, my .45 and a
Ruger .41.

I shot two russian boar and 1 red stag on preserves in Vermont/New Hampshire
all with the 30-06. The boar were both around 250 lbs and the stag was 400 lbs.

I'm 67 years old, and not in super shape Looking for a hunt that's comfortable and
involves manageable amount of walking).

Your 30-06 with good bullets is all you need for any plains game that walks, yes, even the biggest eland. As far as I can tell, the toughness of African game is more related to poor shooting and creating a mystique than it is to a physiological difference from North American game. So don't worry about not owing a 375 or 416 if you are going for plains game. Buffalo is a different matter and if you really want a buffalo you will likely need more rifle than an '06 to stay legal. You can borrow one if need be, or just buy one second hand and then sell it when you are done and you won't lose much money on it at all. If you buy it new, you will lose some money. Don't worry about buying used, I'd wager that more big bore rifles are purchased so that someone can indulge his fantasy of an African hunt in his own head rather than in reality, and you can get one with little use on it if you shop around.

As far as the danger of a cape buffalo, there is certainly some danger, which is really the whole point. While the vast majority of buffalo hunters do not get injured or killed by their quarry, the fact that it could happen is what makes the hunt worth doing. Although the risk is in reality not huge, the fact is that you could get killed. And that beats the hell out of dying of a heart attack while reading a Capstick novel in the safety of your living room wishing you had gone on the hunt when you could.

South Africa will be fine and you can't go wrong with Namibia either. If you want to use your handguns, you'll need to go to South Africa. You can hunt from a stand over a water hole if you can't walk much. The place I went to had a plaque in one of the stands where a WWII German general hunted when he was quite an old man. I can't remember all the body parts he had lost in the war, but it was a significant number of them. If he can do it, you'll be fine. Your PH will want you to have a good time and will do whatever he can to ensure that happens, so just be up front with him regards your abilities and limitations. If he can't work it out, there will be another one who can.

Your :huntingrifle:30-06 with good 180 to 200 gr bullets will do fine. If you elect to go after Cape Buffalo rent a rifle from your PH and take a Box of ammo with you.

At 67 you are not that old and even if you were in a chair there are operators that have the ability to make your safari a success. Clients on here are in there 60's and 70's and have a blast while on safari. :meyou:

Look at the "Outfitters" button and then go to the country and look at Operator & PH reviews and be guided by your pocket :dollar: book.

Then Look at the "Hunting Deals" button for some great specials.

AH"S travel specialist "Lori" (second clip on the right) can assist you in your travel arrangements and rifle permits. Check her out, she has assisted many on here with great success. lane:

After you have looked at a few web sites for Outfitters and PH's then put together your hunting trophies list.

Your dream of a Cape Buffalo can be a reality and i would suggest Zimbabwe to help reduce your total cost. (One of the least expensive countries i have found based on CB trophies fees, plus based on your walking condition. Mozambique was my other pick, however the walking is a little more difficult)

I would suggest you look at Kudu, Gemsbok (Oryx), Eland, Blue Wildebeest, Bush Buck, Water Buck, Impala, Nyala, Zebra, Giraffe, and others While on a 10 to 14 day Safari. There are always more animals :alligator: to add depending on the hunting concession.

I would suggest you book a minimum of a 10 day safari. Looking at making it a 14 day safari depending on your Trophies selection. Plus you could add a prized Leopard to a 14 day safari.

Have fun while you can and take the Safari plunge. you will have more fun that you imaged.

Welcome to AH Jack! You will find people here friendly and helpful. As far as where to go, I recommend South Africa, or Namibia. I went to SA last march for 10 days. I went with FaunAfrica, the guys name is Ken Du Plessis, the PH is Willem VanRooyen. They treated us splendidly. Look at my hunt report and pictures. Also Spiral Horn Safaris, would be a choice for me also, I am pretty sure my next trip will be with them. Enjoy your planning, keep in touch on here, I am sure you will get offers from several Outfitters. Brian

Welcome Jack. As advised previously, checking out the Outfitters section here on AH is a good start. If you have the time and aren't too terribly far from Harrisburg, PA, you could attend the Eastern Sportsman Show in February.

If you do decide to go for buffalo, it's true you can rent a gun, but the cost of doing so is probably not going to be much different than if you bought a CZ 550 or Win M70 then sold it when you got back. In fact, it may be cheaper. The outfitters in Africa pay much more for ammo than we do here in the U.S. and must charge you for it. Furthermore, I think you owe it to yourself and your PH to have had some experience shooting a DG caliber before you show up.

A .375H&H is an easy gun to be accustomed to in my opinion. While the recoil is more than my .300 Win Mag, it's different. It's not a sharp jab, but more of an abrupt shove. However as much as I and others will tell you that, you'll never appreciate it until you've actually shot it.

Most anything very useful has already been put down here so I'll just say welcome Jack and I would second the recommendations for South Africa and Namibia for a first timer. Both countries have many top notch outfitters, many listed on this site. Have fun in the planning. Its almost as much fun as the doing.

Welcome Jack, I am fairly new to AH myself. I have received a lot of great advice from the many knowledgeable and helpful members of AH. I went in May-June of this year with Liam Urry Safaris in South Africa. I went for 10 days but I wish I had made it 20. You can look at my Safari with pictures in the hunting reports section of South Africa. You will have a lot of questions. None of them are dumb and all can be answered by some one on this forum. If I can help feel free to PM me. I am on AH now looking for information on the best way to get my Trophies home.

Thanks, Brian. Guess I'll have to look into Namibia = was leaning towards SA, and everyone so far has mentioned SA plus another country. I guess travel would be easiest - direct flight from NY to Johannesburg.

What animals did you get last year? What is it about Spiral Horn that has you switching from FaunAfrica?

Jack, I got a limpopo bushbuck, gemsbuck(oryx) blesbuck, impala,kudu, wart hog and zebra. FaunAfrica has some freat ranches, the PH is awesome, but they raised their rates quite a bit. Check their website for prices. Spiral Horn is on here quite often, nice guy, great hunt reports. My hunting report is on this site, also my pictures. Brian

SA is a fantastic country, you cannot go wrong there. Animals are more than abundant, and if I may recommend you check out Koedoeberg, I won a hunt on this site, and Willem (the outfitter/PH) is a fantastic guy and the camp and staff are great. Prices are great and he has a couple of packages available, worth a look. A lot has been said for the first timer, SA is the way to go, I will return to SA until i am ready for DG, then I will look at the other countries in Africa until then I will fill my bag in SA.

BTW, welcome to AH, this is a great site with a lot of knowledgeable people here.

Jack first of all welcome to this informative and extremely interesting sight, My reccomendation would be to visit a hunting show talk to outfitters and if at all possible talk to your PH, the person that you will be spending time with, all camps in SA and Nam will be good, food will be good, trophies will be good, but spending 7-10 days with someone that frustrates you can most definitly put a dampner on your experience, visit shows see wether you could set up a private meeting remember this is a service industry, any outfitter/ph worth their salt should make time to come to you as well.

I hope you enjoy the planing phase of your trip and that you have an absolute awesome experience.

Thanks, Bert. I checked out Reveille's website but didn't see any prices?? Must have missed them.

What animals did you get there?

Click to expand...

Prices aren't listed on the website.

In two trips, I got a hartebeest, blesbok, waterbuck, black wildebeest, gemsbok, mountain zebra, eland, and kudu. My son took 2 warthogs, several jackals, an ostrich, gemsbok, impala, a blue wildebeest on our second trip as well as catching some fish at the coast on our first trip. My wife took blue wildebeest, impala, springbok, and warthog. I hunted both times there, my wife only the first year, and my son was only big enough for a 22 the first year, so his animals are from our second trip. We made day trips for the zebra, ostrich, and kudu.